Dancing toy or figure.



PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905.

C. E. MBBKER.

DANCING TOY 0R FIGURE.

APPLIOATIUN FILED JUNI: a. 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented February 7', 1905.

PATENT EETCE.

DANCING TOY OR FIGURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,156, dated February '7, 1905.

Application filed June 6.1904. Serial No: 211,361.

To fri/l Y11i/'mnt 'it may cm1/cern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES E. Mamma, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Ann Arbor, in the county'of Tashtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dancing' '.loys or Fig'- ures; and Ido declare the following' to bea full. clear, and exact description of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

'lhis invention relates to fig'u re toys.and particularly to toys of that kind in which motion is imparted to the ligure to simulate the action of dancing'.

'lhe object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character which is comparatively simple ofconstruction and inexpensive of manufacture and which provides fora hig'h degree (.)fg'rotesqucness in the body movements of the dancing' figure.

ll'ith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel Vfeatures of construction, combination, and arrangement oi' parts, as will be hereinafter more full-y dcscribed, and particularlyv pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying' drawings, Fig'ure l is a perspective view of adancing' toy embodying' lny invention. Fig'. '2 is avertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig'. 3 isa vertical crosssection taken on line 3 3 of Fig'. 2. Fig'. 4f is a bottom plan view` and Fig'. 5 is a detail view showing' the neck connection of the lig'ure.

Referring' to the drawings, l represents a hollow or chamber-ed base, comprising a top wall, side walls 3, and end walls al. The base shown in the present instance is of oblong' rectangular form and open at the bottom; but it may be of any form and construction to suit the purpose Vfor which itis designed. lt may also be made of wood or metal or any other suitable material. Rising' from the rear end of the top wall i2 is a ligure-support, comprising' a standard having' a forwardly-projecting' supporting-arm 6, from which the dancing tig'ure T is suspended. This standard is preferably made of lig'ht wire in order that it may vibrate to promote the action of the fig'- ure-operating mechanism to secure a high degree of g'rotesqueness in the body movements of the tig'ure. '.lhe lig-ure 7 is made of sheet metal or other suitable material and comprises a body 8, formed of a strip of metal bent or doubled upon itself and secured at its free edges, the Lipper' portion of the same being' flattened to provide an elongated slot or opens ing' 9. Jointed to this body by pivot-pins or like connections are limbs ll, the lower limbs having'thig'h and knee joints and terminating' in 'feet l2. The head l?) of the ligure has a neck 14 in the formof a tin plate,which projects down into the body o throug'h the slot t) and is itself formed with a slot l5 `forl the passage of a pin ll, said pin and slot permitting' the neck to have free lateral orsidewise nfovement on the body 8, as will be readily understood. 'lhe body itself is suspended from the forward end of the arm o in such manner as to allow it to have a lateral pivotal movement and a slig'ht movement longitudinally of the supportiiig-arm (i, which is preferably accomplished by forming' said body with openings 19 to receive the forward end Q0 of the arm, which is curved or hook-shaped to retain the body in place and yetallow it to swing' both longitudinally and transversely of the body l. p

The lig'ure is suspended by the arm of the standard immediately above an opening' in the top wall 2 and the feet l2 ofthe lig'ure raised upon a vibra tory platform 21, exposed at said opening'. This platform is composed of a plate '122, secured to a flexible flap 23, suitably fastened lo the under sideof the wall L). On the under side of this flap is a padding' 2l, and adapted to engage this padding' is a hammer or striker 25, mounted upon one end of a vibrating' lever 2G, lixed to a transverse, shaft 2T, journaled at its end in the walls`- 3.' From the rear of the lever or the shaft extends an arm 28, adapted to be eng-aged by tappets 29 on an operating-shaft 30, also journaled in the walls 3 and provided at its outer end with a crank-handle 3l. The lever 26 is connected in rear of the striker .25 with the wall orto a transverse shaft 'iournaled in the wall by a spring', rubber band, or like reactive connection 32, which normally holds the striker in engagement with the padding' 2i, so that when the shaft is rotated and the arm 28 is `forced IOO upward by the successive actions of the tappets 29 the spring 32 upon each downward movement of the lever will be expanded and will then exert its retractive energy todraw up the' lever and cause the hammer or striker 25 to strike the padded portion 24 of the vibrating platform 21, so that during the operation of the shaft 30 the hammer 25 will strike the under side of the platform aseries of blows in quick succession, thereby causing it to rapidly vibrate. This rapid vibration will of course raise and lower the platform and transmit motion to the ligure 7, the body and limbs of which will be caused to assume all sorts of grotesque positions,the ludicrousness of which will be enhanced by the pivotal play of the head 13 and the additional sensibility imparted by the Vibration of the spring-wire supports 5. The function of the padding 24, which is made of some soft flexible material, is to mufl'le the sound of the hammer or striker 25. 1t will of course be understood that a spring-motor or operating means of any preferred character may be substituted for the crank mechanism herein shown.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A toy of the character described, comprising a base, an elastic support rising therefrom, a jointed figure having a slotted and pivoted neel; portion, a vibrating platform on the base, padding under the platform, a vibrating lever carrying a hammer to strike the padding and vibrate said platform, and means for operating said lever.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. MEEKER.

Witnesses:

Ro'r. E. BUNDEP., THEO. E. MAST. 

